1. Field of the Invention
This invention lies in the field of wheelchairs and more specifically the storage of leg rest assemblies associated with said wheelchairs.
2. Description of Prior Art
The majority of prior art wheelchairs provide no storage capabilities for the associated leg rest assemblies, or allow for storage areas at the cost of being able to horizontally fold the wheelchair frame. The leg rests for these chairs must be completely removed from the wheelchair during patient transfers or transportation of the wheelchair. These removable leg rests are then easily lost or difficult for the wheelchair user to replace on the wheelchair frame. The prior art leg rest typically must be swung out to the side of the chair for removal or to make room for patient transfers. In tight quarters, as in a bathroom, there is no room for the leg rest to be swung out and removed, and therefore place users at risk for falling over the leg rest assemblies. The prior art leg rest are supported on hangers which have been proven to cause injury to wheelchair users. The prior art wheelchair frames that do allow folding, and have storage space, are impractical in that the leg rests are stored directly under the seat or the wheelchair user. This requires the user to fully lift his or her legs to make room to slide the leg rests into the storage area.